Small House Living in Allentown

Recently, urban-issues twitterer extraordinaire Carol Coletta posted a profession of her love that there is a "small house movement" (featured in the Small House Style blog). We love it too! Although the homes of Center City Allentown may not be as tiny as the plans you will find on the Tiny House Blog, they are a dramatic departure from the McMansions of the Lehigh Valley suburbs, and illustrate a couple of key benefits of downtown living.

Some of the benefits of living in a smaller space include lower energy costs, less house to clean, character, coziness and something to show off to friends. In Allentown, small homes, such as those found on the periphery of our prime business corridors offer a great historic home-ownership opportunity to a wide variety of people interested in living in a compact, walkable neighborhood.

Many of the homes within walking distance (a quarter mile) of the Hamilton Street business district and Seventh Street business district are both small and historic. Nearly all of homes in the Old Allentown Historic District were built before the post-World War II building boom, when there was a dramatic decrease in the quality of materials and methods. Over 25% of the houses in Old Allentown are smaller than 1,300 square feet, a manageable home for singles, young professionals or small families. Contrast that with the super-sized homes of the sprawling suburbs, where you could get lost in your own house.

Because of their small size, many of the small homes on the market in our Center City can be purchased for less than $100,000. Many financial advisors suggest that one spend no more than 28% of their gross income on mortgage payments. This ratio is easily attained by a young professional living in a small home in center city. At these rates, a young professional or entrepreneur could afford to fully participate in the numerous benefits of downtown living.

One of the amazing features of the small homes in Center City Allentown is their proximity to arts, culture, restaurants, and business opportunities. The Allentown Art Museum, Allentown Symphony Hall, the Baum School of Art, West Park, Allentown Brew Works, dozens of authentic ethnic restaurants, and so much more are all no more than a few blocks from Old Allentown and the Old Fairgrounds Historic District. There are also banks, grocery stores, drug stores, galleries, coffee shops, and government services.

So consider the benefits of living in a small house in downtown Allentown, and come check us out.